Marketing activities of Coca-Cola Company

Coca-Cola has a particularly strong advantage in Europe, with a market share of 50%. In Japan, Coca-Cola controls 80% of its sales. Of the total profits of 1990 company, the profits from Japan account for 2 1%, Europe accounts for 33%, and other international markets account for 26%. This company is one of the top 500 enterprises in the world.

Coca-Cola has adopted several strategies to develop its international market. Take Taiwan Province Province as an example. A family bottling factory in Taiwan Province Province was short of funds. Coca-Cola bought 49% of its shares and expanded its management and facilities. Coca-Cola has improved sales and marketing, increased advertising investment and promoted new capacity packaging. Promotion activities include baseball and basketball lessons taught by American coaches, sponsoring concerts of pop artists, and inviting chefs from Hilton Taipei Hotel to cook ten Chinese dishes with cola. Coca-Cola's market share in Taiwan Province Province has increased from 6% in 1985 to 40% in 1990, while limiting the total share of 7-up and Pepsi-Cola to 4%. In France, Coca-Cola 1989 revoked a poorly managed franchise agreement. By 1990, sales in France had increased by 23%. 1990, a few days after the fall of the Berlin Wall, Coca-Cola transported soda from its new factory in Dunkirk to Berlin. 1989, Coca-Cola sold its 49% stake in Columbia Pictures to Sony and reinvested the money in overseas soft drinks business. The CEO of Coca-Cola Company said that the company's "business in the 1990s will contribute to the development of the world". Coca-Cola has set a target of 8%- 10% growth rate in international sales, and intends to accelerate the growth of a small amount of profits of its overseas bottling joint venture. As early as the early 20th century, "Coca-Cola" appeared in Asia, originated from the Philippines, shipped to China for sale, and sold in Shanghai and other cities. 1927 "coca-cola" set up factories in Shanghai and Tianjin, and later produced in Qingdao and Guangzhou.

1933, Shanghai coca-cola factory was the largest "coca-cola" factory outside the United States, 1948, and it was the first factory outside the United States with an annual output of more than one million boxes.

Coca-Cola 1978 returned to China, and has invested 1 1 billion dollars in China so far. After more than ten years of development, Coca-Cola Company has established 42 canned beverage factories in China, forming a production base and sales network that radiates across the country, with annual sales of nearly 10 billion yuan. It was announced in "1999 National Urban Consumer Survey" that Coca-Cola once again topped the list of similar products and won three laurels: market share, best brand and popularity.

Despite such brilliant achievements, the mood of Coca-Cola Company today is very different from that when it first entered the Chinese mainland market 20 years ago. In those years, foreign beverages entering the China market basically did not feel the pressure from China beverage enterprises. In the past ten years, more than a dozen "Coke" beverage enterprises have appeared in various parts of China, and almost all of them have disappeared silently. Nowadays, when Coca-Cola and Pepsi gained considerable influence in China market, they felt the fierce competition pressure from China beverage enterprises in recent years. The main reason is that the brands with national characteristics produced by China beverage industry enterprises have grown up through unremitting efforts. In June, China Beverage Industry Association launched the "Top Ten" of China's beverage industry. These brand-name beverages are the best in China, covering the main categories of domestic beverages, with high popularity and market share. For example, Jianlibao, Wahaha, Coconut Tree, Robust, Lulu, and China Top Ten Beverage are all representatives of the national beverage industry in China who won the title of well-known trademark in China.

Under the pressure of national beverage industry in China, the marketing strategy of Coca-Cola Company began to change, and the localization process in China market began.

Coca-Cola Company has always attached importance to advertising, and entering the China market is no exception. It invests tens of millions of yuan in publicity every year. However, Coca-Cola's advertising and brand positioning are strictly restricted. In the past, it was controlled and planned by the Atlanta headquarters. Consumers in China always see the bright red and energetic appearance of Coca-Cola, which impresses consumers in China with the most typical American style and American personality. For more than ten years, the advertising campaign has basically adopted the advertising version of American TV series plus Chinese commentary, and this strategy has been used until 1998. With the vigorous development of national beverage brands in China, Coca-Cola's marketing strategy has undergone major changes in 1999. Its TV advertisement launched in China was filmed in China for the first time, designed by China advertising company for the first time, and invited China actors to shoot advertisements for the first time. Clearly gave up the American identity that has been consistent for many years. In order to gain more market share, Coca-Cola is making great strides in the localization of China. As we all know, Coca-Cola has always adopted the strategy of undifferentiated market coverage, with a wide range of target customers. Coca-Cola focused its advertising audience on young friends from the beginning, and the advertising screen was occupied by energetic and healthy young people. "Vitality is always Coca-Cola" has become its latest slogan.

What can enterprises learn from the successful development of Coca-Cola? Generally speaking, these experiences are very simple and obvious. The following are 30 successful management experiences selected from its development history and tested by time.

Sell quality products

Products don't have to be able to talk and fly, but they must have some useful functions and be widely accepted by people. Accustomed to the taste of Coca-Cola, you will find it delicious and make people develop a hobby. Coca-cola can tickle the nostrils, quench thirst and have a little caffeine effect. Some people think it can cure headache, nausea and stomachache.

Believe in your product.

It is necessary to establish a lofty image for products and make related occupations sacred. Let employees think that the products are world-class and they are working for the best company. Salesmen should have the skills of missionaries, not just paid salesmen. In the 1920s, robert wood Woodruff called all the salespeople together and unexpectedly announced that they were all fired. The next day, he rehired them in the new service department, but warned that they were no longer salesmen because there was no need to promote the advantages of Coca-Cola. They are workers, and their task is to ensure that soda water becomes an excellent mixed coke with ice.

Create mystery

Creating a mysterious atmosphere is immoral, but it helps sales. A director of the company admitted that the secret formula didn't make much sense to them. The real secret of success is that the trademark of this product has been influenced for more than a century, but the secret of the formula and the seven famous fragrances were once important reasons for attracting customers.

The cost of the product is lower.

The cost of each bottle of coke is extremely low, less than a dime. Coca-Cola is not a capital-intensive product, and its production is not difficult and labor intensity is not great, although its production process is highly confidential.

Let people engaged in circulation make big money before the products reach consumers. There is a simple reason. If the cost is low, the retail price can be greatly increased. Coca-Cola is characterized by making a lot of money. Over the years, everyone who has dealt with Coca-Cola has become very rich, including bottle manufacturers, shareholders, wholesalers and those who provide truck pallets and vending machines. This effect makes people very grateful to the company and willing to contribute to the cause of Coca-Cola.

Make it affordable for everyone.

From 1886 to the 1950s, the price of a bottle of coke was only 5 cents, which is not very expensive in the world today. So people in third world countries can afford it. Even in difficult times, Coca-Cola still sells well. During the Great Depression of the 1930s and the recent economic recession, Coca-Cola manufacturers were still rolling in money.

Products should be everywhere.

We should make the product within reach, make it everywhere, and make it available at any time in dance halls, barbershops, offices, trains and other places. Harrison jones, an early Coke salesman, once said in 1923, "We must make people unable to avoid Coca-Cola".

Be smart in selling products.

This one sounds simple, but how, when and where to sell and publicize products is the key to success or failure. By 19 1 1, Arthur Kadira has spent more than one million dollars to stimulate people's desires and make Coca-Cola the best advertising product in the world. He also hired painters to publicize his product logo on white walls with red background and white characters all over the United States, covering an area of more than 5 million square feet. By 19 13, the company has distributed more than 1 100 million small gifts printed with the Coca-Cola logo, making people see the Coca-Cola logo at any time on frequently used items such as thermometers, calendars, tournament books, notebooks, baseball cards, Japanese fans and pictures, thus leaving a deep impression on people. According to the salesman, a customer often has nightmares about a white ghost holding a stove and shouting that Coca-Cola is chasing him. Today, when the company spends more than $4 billion a year to promote Coca-Cola around the world, this phenomenon is not surprising.

Promote the image of the product rather than the product.

A Coca-Cola advertiser once warned his employees with rich imagination and creativity: We are selling something that doesn't exist at all, and they are only drinking an image instead of a product. Coca-Cola advertised its drug function from the very beginning, claiming that it can invigorate the spirit of mental workers, relieve headaches and pains of people who drink too much, and bring people pleasure. But Frank Robinson, who named and inscribed drinks, soon realized that promoting Coca-Cola as a refreshing drink instead of a patented drug could attract more customers and avoid unnecessary legal disputes and troubles.

Welcome competition

Although the employees of Coca-Cola Company don't want to admit it, Pepsi has actually brought them many benefits. People like to watch the "Coke Wars" between Coca-Cola Company and Pepsi Company. The clever salesmen of the two companies also realized that no matter which company wins in a certain round, the popularity established through fierce competition will help the sales of goods.

Rational application of celebrity effect

Coca-Cola Company hired celebrities to advertise from the beginning, hoping that consumers would follow the example of baseball superstar Ty Cobb or female star Hilda Clark. By 1930s, movie stars from Clark Barber and Kay Grant to Jane Harrow and joan crawford had advertised for Coca-Cola Company. In the late 1960s, singers from neil diamond, Leslie Goyle, ray charles to aretha franklin all thought that drinking Coca-Cola would make everything better. However, it is also dangerous to rely too much on the celebrity effect. On the one hand, the audience remembers more stars than products. Coca-Cola has always maintained a real star position in commercial advertisements, and Pepsi has a headache for stars who charge too much. This shows another danger of relying too much on celebrities. Although Madonna and Jackson have made a lot of efforts to improve the popularity of Pepsi, they are not as good as the company hoped. Coca-Cola Company solved this thorny problem by reusing the images of dead stars such as louis armstrong, Grocho Max and Humphrey Bassin to make sketch advertisements.

The desire to attract ordinary people

Since 1950s, Coca-Cola Company has produced a model advertisement, which can be applied in various cultural backgrounds with little or no modification. How do we do this? Coca-Cola's advertising words have universal charm. After drinking Coca-Cola, you will become more confident, happier, more popular, sexier and younger. In order to strengthen the publicity effect, Coca-Cola Company sponsors various sports competitions all over the world, from sumo to football, and also sponsors concerts.

Attract young people

Advertisers in sports and concerts are mainly to attract teenagers. If we build credibility among young people, we will gain a long-term consumer market. 1894, three five-year-old boys in navy uniforms were printed on the postcard of Coca-Cola. They shouted, "We want to drink Coca-Cola." 19 1 1 year, the coca-cola company was sued by the government, partly because it contained caffeine that was addictive to children. Since then, the company has cancelled all advertisements for children under the age of 12. However, this did not prevent distributors from sending learning tools with the Coca-Cola logo, such as pads and rulers, nor did it prevent the company from replacing Santa Claus to promote its products for 30 years.

Do as Romans do in Rome.

If you want to sell your products all over the world, don't dress up as an "ugly American". In the 1920s, when robert wood Woodruff was in charge of the global development strategy, he tried to make Coca-Cola a favorite drink for Germans in Germany and French in France. Coca-Cola Company signed sub-packaging contracts with major local enterprises and encouraged them to support the production of beverages by manufacturing trucks, bottles, trays and trademarks provided by local companies. The company exports, while the local company imports only Coca-Cola concentrate. Based on this, Coca-Cola Company can proudly and accurately point out how much contribution it has made to the local economic development. For decades, the Coca-Cola Company has trained a large number of managers with brains and understanding of local cultural customs all over the world. It is said that the company has hired many local lawyers all over the world.

obey the law

Although Coca-Cola's top managers or distributors were suspected of bribery and kickbacks in the past, on the whole, the company's image is innocent. Ordinary illegal acts can not only make the company profitable, but also damage the reputation of this huge multinational company, which is not worth the candle.

Use influential people

Not breaking the law doesn't mean you can sit comfortably in a chair like an angel. Robert wood Ruff is an influential figure in China. In fact, he controls Senator Walter Joffa of Georgia and Mayor William B. Hasfayed of Atlanta. He keeps close contact with the president. Together with his partners, he created President White de Eisenhower and even helped him decide whether to run the government as a political party or a democratic party. Pat Worthing also pushed Jimmy Carter into the White House. Nevertheless, as long as politicians can prove that selling products is in the national interest and does not require special care, they should not be required to abuse their influence. For example, the influence of the close relationship between Coca-Cola Company and Carter is enough to open the door to promote products.

Be patient, but decisive.

Coca-Cola's decision makers know that one day they will sell their products all over the world. It has sold 195 countries, and it is only a matter of time before the long-cherished wish is realized. War, famine and political events will bring temporary difficulties, but the future is bright. They will keep working hard and be ready to take advantage of every possible opportunity.

Observe the precepts

Robert wood Ralph's guiding ideology is not complicated at all. According to his colleagues, he has never finished reading a book in his life and is almost illiterate. His cleverness lies in strategizing and sticking to some basic principles.

flexible

When choosing between tradition and change, Coca-Cola's weakness is its unwillingness to change the status quo. Arthur Kadira didn't take cocaine out of his drink until 1903. Woodruff strongly opposed large bottles of Coca-Cola, refused to introduce new flavors, opposed advertising with rock music, and raised retail prices in the 1950s. In the 1980s, Robert Gauzut was determined to stimulate this conservative company. When he decided to produce diet coke, it turned out that his idea was correct. In 1985, when he encountered difficulties in developing a new formula, he adopted the original formula flexibly, thus avoiding a disaster. Woodruff always likes to say, "The world belongs to those who strive for progress". But Gauzut said, "We live a tight life".

Don't use protective and negative advertisements.

For Pepsi-Cola, comparative advertising has a certain effect, but it may inadvertently promote competitors. Whenever Coca-Cola takes this approach, it seems very stupid; This includes a positive explanation of caffeine in Coca-Cola.

Expand business when necessary.

After Robert Gauzut became the president of the company 198 1 year, he immediately expanded his business scope and bought Columbia Film Company, which seemed very influential at that time. But in less than ten years, he sold the film company to Sony, and gained considerable profits, and then devoted himself to the beverage industry. Coca-Cola Company's stock increased by 735% in the 1980s and was split twice in the early 1990s.

Pay attention to the minimum profit

This view seems simple, but before Gauzut took office, no one paid attention to this issue. In the competition with Pepsi, people only pay attention to market share, not market profit. Gauzut found that the widely acclaimed beverage company was actually losing money because they spent money on metal barrels with a capacity of 5 gallons.

Intimidate employees

This sentence sounds a bit excessive, but all the presidents of Coca-Cola are in favor of an atmosphere of mutual respect and awe. Worstin said, "An atmosphere of anxiety and tension will enable people to maximize their potential." Woodruff's word "boss" means awe and reverence. Now Gao Zute is a perfectionist, so everyone will be afraid in front of him.

Promote the manager from within the company.

Without exception, the best managers in Coca-Cola Company were promoted step by step, including the members of the company committee. They were all instilled with the well-known belief of Coca-Cola. In order to cultivate the management ability of employees, the company has established a special training workshop, and the participants in the training are tired on the assembly line every day.

Every advertisement should achieve a certain purpose.

Because Coca-Cola is a very famous trademark, although the composition change of 1985 cost the company 4 million dollars, it really helped the company a lot. When the company was forced by the pressure of consumers to launch classic coke again, the re-listed coke made the sales greatly exceed that of Pepsi. Before the introduction of the new Coca-Cola, this kind of Coca-Cola had lost its market for more than 20 years. Many people think that Gauzut and others in the company planned the whole incident behind the scenes. Don Cove admits that they are not that smart, but they do know that even negative advertisements can eventually help reputable products increase sales.

Rational use of cash

When robert wood Woodruff took over the company at 1923, the company's debts surprised him, and later he proudly saved a large sum of cash. As a result, conservative management made the company no longer have a debt management crisis, even during Reagan's administration. During the reign of Gaozu, the company assumed reasonable debts. Gao Zute and Ai Du West, a financial wizard, believe that it makes sense to borrow appropriately if reinvestment can yield high profits. A simple way is to "buy back the stocks issued by yourself and push the stock price up further."

Hold a joint venture

Another way to use funds rationally is to break the old law of not owning a bottling plant. Since Arthur Kadira gave up the right of filling in 1899, the company confirmed that its main task was to produce syrup. The filling industry with low profit has developed. Although the company has some factories, they are mainly used as training bases for training managers in turn, rather than cash cows. The traditional idea is that independent bottling plants can play a better role. 198 1, Gao Zute was forced to break this stereotype in the Philippines, because the Sogliano family with the franchise gave 70% of the market of Coca-Cola to Pepsi. By purchasing 30% distribution rights, Coca-Cola Company settled the problem of bottling plant. Neville Estelle, the Irish president, defeated Pepsi with traditional stimulus and marketing strategies, including similar military confrontation, and gained market share. Since then, Gozut has started fruitful joint ventures around the world, and joined hands with bottling plants in poor operating conditions to inject capital into the vertically integrated beverage system.

Looking at the world begins with a single step.

Although the presidents of Coca-Cola are vying to take this sentence as their own, it may have come from Gao Zute. No matter where it comes from, Coca-Cola Company has demonstrated its wisdom and used it to guide its operation. For example, in China and Indonesia, the first task is to build infrastructure, build concentration plants, bottle-making plants and filling plants, buy trucks and make sales signs. In American terms, time seems to have returned to 1905.

Pursuing magical effects

In the early 1970s, the president of Coca-Cola Company, Walter Sting, tried to create what he called "magic effect" for Coca-Cola. He believes that companies should take the lead in protecting the environment, improving race relations, establishing a model immigration plan and producing nutritious drinks. Although the cause he advocated has little effect, the company has been pursuing "magical effect" and is still doing meaningful things. In South Africa, the company set up an equal opportunity fund of10 million dollars to improve the living conditions of black people. At the same time, the American Coca-Cola Foundation is funding innovative education and environmental protection projects.